All too often, functional buildings have little more to say than (in my best robotic voice) “This is a functional building.” Some of my favorite designs are those that recognize the beauty inherent in everyday functions. C+S Associati’s water filtration plant in Venice, Italy is a fine example.
Integrating beautifully with a rather linear landscape of canals and artichoke fields, the thick walls are reminiscent of the old Austrian fortress that once protected the lagoon.
Functional, beautiful, and celebrating everything that is inherent to its landscape and the processes housed within, it’s no wonder it’s won several awards.
Remember in middle school, when we folded up pieces of paper and played games that would tell us who we were going to marry, how many kids we would have, etc.? They looked something like this, except not nearly as sophisticated, beautiful or relevant.
Francisca Prieto has created several series of gorgeous paper work. Her “Between the Folds” series explores the subtle variances in security envelope patterns.
She used the same methods in a textural (pun not intended) exploration of The Complete Works of Shakespeare – all 1300 pages.
I am curious how the pages are organized. Are they grouped by act? Are they in chronological order? Are all the comedies together? It would be fascinating to see the piece in person and try to discern the pattern.
Prieto has a considerable history with typography, as well. I’m intrigued by this piece, “The Antitype.” A 3D typeface, the piece plays with the removal of half of each letter. In the mirrored surface, some letters are completed in their reflection (such as A and C), while others are confused further (such as N and E).
I don’t have children. I have no immediate plans to have any. But every once in a while, I come across something so truly adorable that I (almost) wish I had a child.
Case in point: this uber cute owl. Not only is it just about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, it’s also hand-made by a collective of knitters in rural Kenya, imported by a company that monitors their working conditions, and sold by a company that only sells sustainable items.
And look at these sting rays! What an unusual choice! I love it. This is also a fair trade item, made in Nepal. Look at the bellies!
Hilarious! Apparently these were designed to be chew toys, so if you have a pet that appreciates oddities, this would be a perfect gift.
Branch has plenty for adults, as well. Most of their furniture is typically out of my price range (a side effect of being well-made of sustainable materials), but they have a lot of stellar house wares and accessories.
One of my favorites is the (not exactly affordable) off pitcher and cup. Gorgeous, a bit quirky, and 100% sustainable. It suits me perfectly.
GOOD magazine recently teamed up with Design for Haiti and held an infographic contest focused on the Haiti earthquake. They announced the winner last week: Emily Schwartzman, with this informative design.
It’s easy to read, aesthetically pleasing, and shares some interesting information. The comparison of Haiti’s and the United State’s GDPs is pretty astounding. The population of the U.S. is 30 times larger than that of Haiti, but our GDP is 2,043 times greater!
GOOD also featured another graphic, by Claire Kohler, which doesn’t solely focus on Haiti, but explores some interesting information. It correlates the depth and magnitude of the ten deadliest earthquakes over the past 15 years with the number of casualties caused.
The bottom portion of the graphic focuses on the money donated to Haiti, but I find the upper portion more interesting. Of course, there are other factors that affect loss of life, such as proximity of the epicenter to metropolitan areas, etc. But it’s amazing that the Haiti earthquake falls in the middle of the pack in terms of magnitude, but killed more than all but the 2004 tsunami.
You can check out the other submissions here. And, if you’re feeling ambitious, submit one of your own here.
This is a gorgeous time lapse of Dubai by photographer/director Philip Bloom.
The music and the shots are equally gorgeous. I particularly enjoy the shots of the cranes atop the ever-growing skyline and the ominous shadow creeping across the hotel pool.
Like typefaces and quizzes? Check out this nifty little video quiz from Pentagram. Based on seven years of research and your answers to four simple questions, they can determine your typeface.
I had a little trouble deciding on a couple of the questions, so I took the test three times. I’m absolutely rational and understated, but pretty equally torn between progressive/traditional and relaxed/disciplined. I think. Oh, the pressure!
Maybe someday in the future, they’ll amend the quiz to account for those of us who walk the line between categories. Until then, my split personalities will just hold a vote.
